Why would anyone make up something like that when the real treaty is bad enough?

Errrrrr because the real Lisbon Treaty is nothing like what is portrayed.

Brexiter mentality works like this.

Step 1. Decide that you don't like something because it would mean co-operating with them there bluddy forriners (and they even named it after some poncy place in, Bongo Bongo Land or summat like that. What..? Lesbos or Lisbos, yeah, alright, Lisbon is in Portugal? Well, that's in Africa, innit...?)

Step 2. Don't even bother to find out what the real Lisbon Treaty says, simply read headline of Daily Mail, Express or Sun and that will tell you everything that you're allowed to think.

Step 3. Subscribe to fatuous lie sheet that bears not the faintest resemblance to the real thing and give yourself a pat on the head about how clever you are.

Step 4. Put on yellow surcoat and go to Parliament Square with all your mates so you can all gang up on a middle aged woman and shout abuse into her face like the brave little soldiers for Britain that you are.

It would have been nice to have had a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and IIRC we were promised one.

I believe the French had a referendum and they voted for the treaty by 52% to 48% against. The French government took the result as a green light to go ahead with the treaty and as far as I know no consideration was given to the wishes of the 48%.

It would have been nice to have had a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and IIRC we were promised one.

I believe the French had a referendum and they voted for the treaty by 52% to 48% against. The French government took the result as a green light to go ahead with the treaty and as far as I know no consideration was given to the wishes of the 48%.

France held a referendum on the European Constitution and voted against it, so did the Netherlands. Spain and Luxembourg also held referendums on it and voted for it. The constitution was as a result dropped and became the Lisbon Treaty, the only country that held a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was Ireland which had to due to its constitution.

French and Dutch governments didn't want to risk another no vote! That's the trouble with democracy, those blasted peasants have a habit of voting the wrong way, instead of voting as their betters have told them to. Still, the EU is good at getting around democracy, and the peasants have to put up with it.